When news broke of a deadly shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, it hit home for Jeff Panknin, the executive pastor at Rock City Church in Flour Bluff.

“It’s heartbreaking.. that’s the first thing, it hit you like how could this happen," said Panknin. Prepared, Not Panicked: How this Church is staying safe amid growing safety concerns

Here in the Coastal Bend, Panknin says Rock City Church has long recognized the potential danger, and tragic events like the Minneapolis shooting fuels their mission to keep their worship environment secure.

“It puts a desire inside of me and inside our team to create a safe environment for our guests members and our kids especially," he said.

Each week, nearly 600 people gather at Rock City for worship, and for years the church has relied on a

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